Car-to-Car Charging

[TheTalkingMule]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but....does it not make sense to have the ability to charge off another car?

Pretty much anyone would be willing to charge a stranded EV for 6 minutes. So much for range anxiety.

Has Elon addressed this in the past.

 

[Rockster]

I've brought this up before. I would think that a very slight change to the design of the mobile charger could enable one car to charge another. My only thought is that 1) they're too busy right now to engineer this and 2) the creation of such a device might increase the perception to the lay public that there's a constant concern among Tesla owners that we're going to be stranded and need a "jump" from another Tesla.

 

[BrettS]

Honestly, stranded EV’s are a pretty uncommon occurance. Typically range isn’t an issue at all for day to day use and a little planning on long trips ensures that you won’t get stranded. Even if this was an option I don’t think it would be used frequently.

 

[BerTX]

Honestly, stranded EV’s are a pretty uncommon occurance. Typically range isn’t an issue at all for day to day use and a little planning on long trips ensures that you won’t get stranded. Even if this was an option I don’t think it would be used frequently.

I agree with this.

I'm sure it could be done, but there isn't really anything on the car to be able to do this. Charging from one battery directly to another would not work well unless additional hardware (big DC/DC converter?) was added. An inverter could be added to give appropriate AC voltage to run the charger in the dead car, but it would be unrealistic to pay for and lug all that around just on the off chance that someone else plans poorly (hardware would have to be in the other car for you to use).

In short, it could be done, but it would be cheaper to call for a tow the one time it happens to you. I say one time, because it is unlikely you would let it happen again.

 

[roblab]

Yes, the best solution is to not run out of charge. You've got a fairly accurate indicator for remaining range right in front of you, and charging exists all over the place, either Tesla or L2s, 220v or 110. Come on, people. Just watch the dash and pull over to a charger before you run out, or, heck, plan ahead so you know you can make it, or as a last resort, maybe slow down! That's right. In 150,000 miles, I've never run out. Hmmmmm.

Why is it that drivers don't understand that high speed and low temperatures cut the range? Why is it that people, like a friend of mine, drive 80+mph up the interstate in order to get to a charger, and run out of charge two miles away? Or another friend somehow figures that since his home is only ten miles away, he can make it on nine miles of charge, completely ignoring that it's a thousand foot rise in elevation?

That said, if car-to-car charging were a thing, I'm sure the complaint would be that it was too slow.

 

[webbbcam]

If you run out of juice all you need is a tow cable and a willing tow vehicle.
From Russia 3 years ago:

Watch This Tesla Model S Get Charged By Being Towed - Video

 

[RandyS]

In addition to the comments already posted, if implemented, this would provide a path for a free supercharging vehicle to provide energy to a "fee-based" supercharging vehicle (like the 3). And from what I've learned from locals at free charging stations, they would totally take advantage of this...

 

[hacer]

I'm sure this has been discussed, but....does it not make sense to have the ability to charge off another car?

Pretty much anyone would be willing to charge a stranded EV for 6 minutes. So much for range anxiety.

Has Elon addressed this in the past.

This would only be appropriate for tow-truck to car charging. A specialized rescue vehicle that carried a big battery and big inverters would be useful for those few people who get in trouble. I think we'll start to see these once there are a lot more EVs on the road. But it makes no sense for ordinary cars to have this extra capability that will almost never be used.

 

[Rockster]

In addition to the comments already posted, if implemented, this would provide a path for a free supercharging vehicle to provide energy to a "fee-based" supercharging vehicle (like the 3). And from what I've learned from locals at free charging stations, they would totally take advantage of this...

That’s a really good point.

 

[miimura]

Car to car DC charging has been done. It is neither affordable nor practical.
ORCA Inceptive | Andromeda Power, LLC

 

[sub]

AAA says that its emergency electric vehicle charging trucks served “thousands” of EVs without power